Weapons including practice bombs are often employed to simulate the ballistic properties of service bombs used in combat. Since practice bombs contain no explosive filler, a practice bomb signal cartridge can be used for visual observation of weapon-target impact. The signal cartridges provide a flash, smoke (or smoke like signal) and/or a dye effect, providing a mechanism of locating the impact of the practice bomb in daylight, in darkness and in water.
The primary purpose of practice bombs is safety when training new or inexperienced pilots and ground-handling crews. Other advantages of practice bombs include their low cost and an increase in available target locations due primarily to reduced safety requirements because of a lack of an active warhead. These bombs provide full-scale training for assembly and loading crews and pilots. The general types of practice bombs are subcaliber or full-scale practice bombs. Subcaliber means that the practice bomb is much smaller in size and weight than the service bomb it simulates. Full-scale practice bombs are representative of service bombs in their size and weight.
As mentioned above, there is a need to configure the practice bombs to emulate the operation of the service bombs. The presently available practice bombs suffer from deficiencies such as the arrangement of the signal cartridge therein. This can be because newer practice bombs often incorporate additional homing and guiding capabilities to better emulate the actual weapon. What is needed in the art, therefore, is a weapon in the form of a practice bomb that overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art.